Chosen Chapter 4: Rise of the Titan
by Dozo14
Summary: Chapter 4 of the Chosen series. The Chosen face their biggest challenge yet when an ancient Titan is freed from his imprisonment and targets Pandora's Box. Meanwhile, personal issues between the Chosen may prevent them from working together and stopping this threat.
1. Chapter 1

Chosen Chapter 4: Rise of the Titan

Xxx

High in the cold and snowy mountains, as a thunderstorm lightened the sky with endless bolts of lightning, two figures made their way past a dangerous pass among the rocks. One was a tall and muscular man dressed in bronze armor and white tunic, with dark brown curled hair and dark brown eyes. The second was a slender and beautiful woman, with long black hair and bright blue eyes. She was covered in a thick cloak, though the cold was unforgiving. As the two reached the top of the mountain, the woman fell into the snow. The man, who had his sword drawn, sheathed it and kneeled down beside her.

"Hold on, Pandora, we are almost there." The man said pleading. "Just a little while longer and they will not be able to find us."

"I cannot go on, Prometheus, leave me behind." Pandora replied in tears.

"Do not give up. They cannot find you; you know how unforgiving they are." Prometheus said.

"I still do not understand what is going on. Why are they after us?" Pandora asked.

"I did something that has angered them greatly." Prometheus explained. "But I did it for you, for all of humanity, so you could be free of their tyranny."

"But the world is dying, pain and despair is spreading through the lands, people are going to war." Pandora explained. "What have you done?"

"What needed to be done." Prometheus replied. "The Gods have become the very thing for which they were created to defeat. They force the world to worship them and it must stop. So I did what had to done, I unleashed a great power that will bring them to their knees."

"But what of the people?" Pandora asked.

"It is a necessary evil. A few must pay the price for the rest of the world to be free for all eternity." Prometheus explained.

"But this is not the way! How can you let humanity suffer like this?" Pandora asked. "You claim to have nothing but love for humanity. Now you are willing to sacrifice humanity to bring down the Gods?"

"Please understand, Pandora." Prometheus begged. "I did this for you, because I love you. I want you to live in a world free for tyranny and suffering, I need to destroy the Gods."

"I cannot support you in this." Pandora replied in tears. "I believed you were nothing but good, but you have gone too far. I am sorry."

"What do you mean? Pandora, please, I need you." Prometheus begged.

"Mighty Zeus, please hear my plea." Pandora whispered her she closed her hands and started to pray.

"No! Pandora, Stop!" Prometheus called out.

A sudden bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky next to them and blew them both in opposite directions. Prometheus rolled over and drew his sword as he saw three figures emerging from a bright light. He silently cursed them and wondered desperately why his love had betrayed him. The three figures stepped out of the light and took the form of the Gods. However, the bright light only revealed their figures and obscured their faces. The leader of the figured raised a hand and a lightning bolt blew Prometheus' sword from his hand.

"Prometheus, you will be judged for your crimes against the Gods and humanity." Zeus, the leader of the Gods, spoke.

"I have done no crime to humanity." Prometheus replied. "I only seek to end your tyranny and free this world from your reign."

"Unleashing the sorrows has weakened us severely, already the ones that granted us our power have begun to make their move on us. One by one, the Gods are falling." A female Goddess said. "However, despite your intentions, it is humanity who suffers the most."

"Do not pretend you care about humanity." Prometheus called out. "You have been corrupted by your power and lost all sense of humanity. You rule this world like tyrants and force mortals to worship you. You have become the very thing you were meant to destroy."

"Do not lecture us, you traitorous Titan." Zeus spoke. "We allowed you to survive because you sided with us in the war against your brethren. However, now you have betrayed our trust as well, with dire consequences."

"It is not too late to repair your mistake, call back the sorrows." The third Goddess spoke.

"Even if I wanted to, I cannot. The container has been destroyed." Prometheus said.

"There is still one way we can call back the sorrows before they destroy this world." The second Goddess said. "The woman."

"No, leave her out of this!" Prometheus called out.

"Silence!" Zeus called out angrily.

Zeus raised a hand and a lightning bolt hit Prometheus in the chest, electrocuting him as he fell down in the snow. Zeus laughed as he cried out in pain.

"No, please stop!" Pandora yelled as she ran over and fell on her knees next to Prometheus. Zeus stopped attacking and Pandora placed a hand on her lover.

"You would still defend him?" Zeus asked.

"He has committed a horrible crime, though I do not believe him to be evil." Pandora said. "He has gone too far, but his intentions were pure. I still love him and I beg your forgiveness."

"Don't kneel to them." Prometheus said. "Their reign is ending, we have defeated them."

"At what price? I cannot endure this suffering in the world." Pandora replied.

"Then you possess the power to end the suffering." The second Goddess said. She waved her hand and a black and golden box appeared before Pandora. "Call back the sorrows and free this world from its suffering."

"Don't do it." Prometheus begged. "Don't listen to them, we will find another way."

"I am sorry, my love, but I must do this." Pandora said. "You unleashed the sorrows for me, which makes it my responsibility to call them back and save this world from your mistake."

Pandora picked up the box and opened it. As she laid her hands on the box, it started glowing in a golden light. Soon streams of darkness appeared from all corners of the world and started swirling above them like a dark cloud. Pandora closed her eyes and focused as the cloud broke apart in thousands of small streams and entered the box. When the sorrows had entered the box, it closed and glowed again. Meanwhile, the world around them grew slightly brighter, though clouds of thunder still filled the skies.

"From this moment forth, the mortal Pandora will be known as the guardian of the sorrows. She will guard the box with her life and upon her death, the box will transfer to a new chosen one. This way, the box will be guarded throughout all generations." The Goddess explained.

"What have you done?" Prometheus asked.

"I have protected this world from you." Pandora replied heartbroken.

"Now, step aside, mortal." Zeus spoke in an angered voice. "It is time for this Titan to be judged and face his punishment."

Pandora looked at her lover with a saddened face and gave him one last kiss. She then picked up the box and stepped aside. She softly whispered she was sorry, though Prometheus could not care. All he could feel was her betrayal, after everything he had done for her. They could have been together for eternity. The Gods had nearly been defeated, though she sided with them instead of him. Prometheus cried out in anger as Zeus raised both hands and tortured him with lightning. The lightning shattered his armor, leaving him dressed in a simple tunic. The pain seemed unbearable, and it only stopped when he was on the brink of death.

"Death is a far too lenient punishment for you." Zeus spoke. "For your crimes, you must suffer for all eternity. You will suffer the pain of death each day, though you will never die. Once a day, you will feel my wrath. Then you will heal until the next day. This, Prometheus, will be your punishment for betraying the Gods of Olympus."

Zeus held out his hand and thick metal chains bound Prometheus to the ground by his wrists and ankles. The ground beneath him rose up until the mountain had formed a new peak. A dark cloud appeared above the mountain. A bolt of lightning coursed down and electrocuted Prometheus. As he cried out in unimaginable agony, Pandora fell to her knees and cried as the Gods disappeared from the mountain.

Xxx

Centuries later, two young college students climbed a large mountain range somewhere in Greece. Hannah, a pretty blonde in her early twenties, had convinced her boyfriend Mark to go hiking. She enjoyed adventurous vacations and exploring different cultures, even though he preferred to go to the beach and relax instead. They had made a compromise that they would do both in on vacation. When they reached the top of the mountain, Hannah dropped her bag and grabbed a bottle of water.

"Are you sure you know how to get back down?" Mark asked. "I told you we should have gotten a guide."

"Relax, I have been climbing since I was twelve. I know what I am doing." Hannah replied somewhat annoyed.

"I can't wait to get to the beach." Mark said as he splashed some water over his short black hair, since was already dripping in sweat. "What's so interesting about these mountains, anyway?"

Hannah sighed, Mark was really hot and very sweet, though their interests were completely different. Things between them had started as a casual thing, and she was worried it was getting too serious. She could not imagine spending the rest of her life with him.

"Hey, what is that?" Mark suddenly asked.

Hannah turned around and saw he was pointed at a group of rocks that looked like they had fallen from the top a few feet above them.

"Probably nothing, the townspeople said that lightning strikes the top of the mountain every night, and that sometimes a few rocks fall down." Hannah explained. "There is this weird myth about it, since apparently it has been happening for thousands of years."

"We should take a look." Mark said. "Must be something that is attracting it, like a lightning rod or something."

"On top of a mountain?" Hannah asked skeptically.

"Just a quick look, we can easily climb over those fallen rocks." Mark replied.

"Alright, fine." Hannah replied.

The two of them started climbing over the fallen rocks and a little while later, they had reached the true top of the mountain. There was a small crater, with some rubble lying in the middle. The crater did not look natural, as it was a perfect circle.

"I think there is something there!" Mark said.

Hannah looked to where he was pointing, but before she could see anything, Mark ran down the crater. She yelled after him to be careful and slowly followed him. When she reached the middle, the noticed Mark looked at something with a shocked expression on his face.

"What are you looking at?" Hannah asked.

"Am I going crazy, or is that a dude lying there under the rocks?" Mark asked as he pointed.

"Seriously, that is cra…" Hannah started to say as she looked at where he was pointing, though she suddenly stopped when she saw something as well.

There was a man lying in the middle of the crater, half buried under the rubble. Hannah and Mark quickly ran over and started removing the rocks from his body. As they cleared him, Hannah noticed it was a tall and muscular man dressed in a white tunic like they wore in movies about ancient Rome and such. She wiped the dust from his face and saw it was a very handsome man with a strong jaw and short stubble and dark, curled hair. She could see he was still breathing and noticed his arms and legs were bound by thick metal chains.

"This is insane. What the hell is going on?" Mark asked.

"Mark, go get the water bottles and use the radio to call for help!" Hannah ordered him.

"I am not leaving you alone here!" Mark replied.

"Mark, now!" Hannah yelled. "He could be dehydrated and dying."

"Fine." Mark said reluctantly as he left.

As Mark crawled out of the crater, Hannah grabbed a small, sharp rock and started smashing the chains. Luckily, they were so old and rusted that they easily broke. She removed the restraints and she took the man's hand and checked his pulse, which was very weak. She placed her other hand on his chest and suddenly felt a strong heartbeat. The man opened his dark brown eyes and looked around in shock. Before Hannah could move, he sat up and looked at her as his hand painfully grabbed her wrist.

"Where am I, what year is this?" The man asked.

"Stop, you're hurting me." Hannah pleaded tearfully.

"Tell me what year it is!" The man said with a furious look in his dark eyes as he tightened his grip. "How long was I trapped here?"

"2007." Hannah cried out in pain.

"Impossible." The man said in disbelief as he let go of her hand and stood up. "What has become of the world, has the tyranny of the Gods ended?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hannah said as she cradled her hurt wrist. "Please don't hurt me, We just found you here. What are you?"

However, the man had apparently stopped listening to her as he looked around in the distance as he wiped the dust from his body. Hannah carefully backed off and looked around to see if Mark was coming back. Whatever this man was, she was convinced he was not human. His grip had nearly shattered the bones in her wrist and she was scared out of her mind.

"The world looks so different. Much has changed since I was trapped here." The man said to himself. "I must discover what has passed."

A strong gust of wind suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started circling around the man. Hannah looked in shock as a small twister appeared around the man and he disappeared into thin air. As he disappeared, a thunder sounded in the distance. Shocked and confused by what she had seen, Hannah remained on the ground paralyzed. She barely noticed Mark coming back and asking what had happened. She did not even know how to answer him.

Xxx

On a cold early winter morning, Billie walked over the campus grounds in a stylish grey winter coat and a purple scarf wrapped around her neck. She was not looking forward to having to go to class, since she was heading toward psychology, which was one of the rare classes she shared with both Violet and Duncan. Things had been awkward for about two weeks now, ever since Violet had told Duncan she had a crush on him and he had admitted that he was gay. Billie was not quite as surprised, because in some way she had kind-of seen it coming, though she did feel guilty for encouraging Violet to admit her feelings to him. Either way, she was totally fine with Duncan being gay, though it had led to this uncomfortable situation. Neither of them was speaking to the other, because Violet was still hurt and humiliated, while Duncan just didn't know what to say and just tried to avoid the situation. Billie's attempts to get them to talk had usually ended in one of both of them walking away. So yeah, things on team Chosen had been fun lately.

At least it distracted Billie from thinking about something else she did not want to think about, a little thing called Jake Porter. They had definitely shared a moment after vanquishing the Wendigo, but them he did a complete one-eighty and told her to keep her distance. Out of all the hot guys she ran into, why did she have to fall for a damn Witch Hunter?

Billie entered the classroom and noticed Violet sitting in the front with her head buried in a book, while Duncan was sitting a few rows behind her looking anywhere but in her direction. Part of Billie wanted to run away, but she had to face her friends eventually. She walked across the class room and sat down on her own in between the others. She looked at neither of them and grabbed her books from her bag.

"Is this your way of telling us you're not picking a side?" Duncan asked softly as he dropped down in the seat next to her.

"There are no sides to pick, you're both my friends." Billie replied, loud enough so Violet could hear.

"Well clearly things aren't working out like this." Duncan said.

"You think?" Billie remarked sarcastically. "Seriously, why couldn't you just say '_Hi, I'm Duncan, by the way, I am gay, so don't start crushing on me_' when we first met?"

"Do you tell everyone you're straight?" Duncan asked.

"Don't even go there, that is such a lame excuse." Billie replied.

"Alright, fine." Duncan said with a sigh. "Look, I just don't like talking about it. Coming out to my parents was a disaster, since then I have been trying to avoid it."

"But we're your friends, you're supposed to trust us with stuff like this." Billie replied.

"I know, I should have told you sooner." Duncan said. "I just never imagined getting stuck in a mess like this. I just figured it would come up eventually."

"But you're okay with it, right?" Billie asked. "It's not like you are ashamed or worried about it?"

"No, nothing like that. I accepted it a long time ago." Duncan replied. "What about you?"

"Me? I'm fine with it. I mean, I never had a gay best friend before." Billie remarked. "We can go shopping, get manicures, gossip and check out cute guys…"

"You know I am nothing like that, right?" Duncan replied with a half-smile. "I would rather die."

"I know, just kidding." Billie said with a smile as she bumped his shoulder. "Don't worry, we're not going to start treating you like one of the girls all of the sudden. You're still the same person."

"Thanks." Duncan said somewhat relieved. "So what about Violet?"

"Give it some time." Billie replied.

At that moment, the professor came in and started the class. Billie was confident that her friends would be alright after getting through this awkward stage. Instead of worrying about it, she started focusing on the class, since magic had distracted her from school and she did not want to fall behind. However, after a few moments, her phone started vibrating. When she noticed Duncan grabbing his phone as well, she suspected that another distraction was coming up. When she saw it was a message from Mikelle, her suspicious was confirmed. Psychology would just have to wait.

xxx


	2. Chapter 2

Chosen Chapter 4: Rise of the Titan

Part 2

Xxx

In a small apartment in San Francisco, twenty-three year old Hope returned home after a morning shift at the diner she worked at. Her magical duties as the guardian of Pandora's Box took up so much of her time that she had been forced to temporarily drop out of college and focus all her attention on guarding the box and training herself to be the best guardian she could be. In the two years she had been the guardian, various evil beings had tried to steal the box, though she had managed to defend it using her newfound powers. At moments like these, being a guardian felt more like a curse than a destiny. She had to drop out of college, move out of her dorm room and barely even got to see her friends anymore.

Hope dropped her coat on the couch and let herself fall down in a chair. The slender blonde turned on the TV, but was quickly distracted by a golden glow coming from her bookcase that kept fading on and off. She got up and kneeled down in front of the bookcase. She carefully removed some books and a fake backside and picked up Pandora's Box from its hidden compartment. As soon as she laid her hands on the black and golden box, it stopped glowing. She had never experienced anything like this and it was freaking her out a little. It felt like the box was trying to warn her or something.

"Freaky." Hope whispered as she put the box on her coffee table.

She went to her desk and picked up a small pile of ancient looking books. They were journals of former guardians she had discovered among Nina's possessions, the guardian before her. She had used them to better prepare herself for her responsibilities, though they had been pretty useless so far. She hoped they could at least give her an answer on the weird warning signs.

xxx

On the top of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, a slender teenage boy with spiky brown hair was hovering on a swirl of orbs with his legs crossed. He was dressed in a white button-down shirt and dark jeans and his eyes were closed as his mind was observing the world. A terrible power had awakened earlier this day and the Council of Elders was worried about what it meant. He too was worried, for he knew exactly what this ancient power was and how devastating it could be. After all, he had witnessed it first-hand years ago.

A column of orbs appeared behind the boy and took the shape of four individuals and he could sense their presence. The first was Mikelle, a whitelighter and a personal friend of his, while the other three were the Chosen, the three witches chosen to succeed the Charmed Ones as the champions of good magic. He had never met them in person, but he knew who they were and what they could do. They were exactly what the world needed right now to prevent a disaster from happening.

"Kevin, earth to Kevin!" Mikelle said impatiently.

The boy smiled and he opened his green eyes and set his feet on the metal bridge. He turned around to face his visitors, and he could instantly tell there was some tension in the group.

"It that any way to talk to your superior?" Kevin asked with a smile.

"Whatever, you called for us, here we are." Mikelle replied with a shrug. "Don't go acting all high and mighty on us."

"Thanks, Mikelle." Kevin replied, as he knew perfectly well she was just kidding. "Billie, Duncan, Violet, it is nice to meet you. I asked Mikelle to bring you here because we have a very serious problem."

"Uh, yeah, no offense, but who are you exactly?" Billie asked.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot to introduce myself." Kevin replied. He closed his eyes and his shirt and jeans were replaced with a white and golden robe in a bright white glow. He hated wearing these stupid robes. "I am an Elder."

"No way, you're an Elder?" Billie called out. "But you're just a kid."

"Billie!" Duncan snapped at her.

"Sorry, but it's true." Billie replied with a raised eyebrow.

"I guess I am not the thing you expect when picturing an Elder." Kevin replied. "Truth is, I have only been an Elder for a few years. I used to be a witch until I discovered I was destined for something greater. Some friends of yours actually helped me."

"The sisters?" Billie asked.

"Yeah, they saved me from a demon and helped me accept my destiny." Kevin replied. "But that's a long story and it is not why I called you here. I have very troubling news to share with you."

"What is going on?" Violet asked concerned and somewhat nervously.

"This morning, we sensed that an ancient and dangerous power was accidentally released by two mortals." Kevin explained. "If our suspicions are correct, the entire world could be in danger."

"It's that powerful?" Duncan asked.

"Definitely." Kevin replied. "Exactly how much do you know about Greek mythology?"

"I learned about them in history class in high school." Violet said.

"But most of Greek mythology is not true, they taught us that in Magic School." Duncan added as he looked at Violet, who quickly looked another way with an angry look. "The Greek Gods were actually mortals granted powers by the Elders."

"Oh yeah, I remember the sisters telling me about that." Billie remarked.

"You're correct." Kevin continued. "The Greek Gods were created by the Elders to fight ancient and immortal beings known as the Titans. But after they defeated them, the Gods became corrupted by their power and forced the world to worship them, so the Elders stripped them of their powers."

"Until Leo transformed the sisters into Goddesses when the Titans were freed again." Billie added.

"You don't need to tell me." Kevin replied saddened.

"You were there when the Elders were nearly wiped out?" Billie asked.

"Yeah." Kevin replied. "I had only been an Elder for a few months when the Titans invaded the Heavens. I watched half of the council being killed before I was orbed to safety by others. I was ordered to go into hiding, so I took shelter with a group of Oracles who kept me safe."

"But aren't the Elders really powerful? Didn't you fight back?" Violet asked.

"For centuries, the Elders have been pacifists. At the time, we did not know how to fight back." Kevin explained. "But after the threat of the Titans was over, the new council decided things needed to change, that we could no longer be left defenceless."

"So that explains the lightning bolts." Duncan remarked.

"Powers are tied to emotions, as you all probably know." Kevin said. "Seeing that many friends die changed something in us, it reconnected us to power we had not used in centuries."

"So this new power is connected to the Titans?" Billie asked.

"I am afraid so." Kevin said. "The Titan Prometheus has been unleashed. In ancient Greece, he sided with the Gods to defeat his brethren, but after the Gods became tyrants, he tried to destroy them. For this crime, he was trapped on a mountain by Zeus and tortured with death for centuries. And now he is free, though we have no idea what he will do."

"Wait, according to mythology, Prometheus was one of the good guys." Violet said. "He stole fire from the Gods and gave it to mankind."

"Well, like was said before, mythology is only based on half-truths." Kevin replied. "In all honestly, we have no idea what Prometheus is truly after, but we cannot let him roam free."

"But how do we stop a Titan?" Billie asked. "The Greek Gods could not defeat them, Piper only vanquished them after nearly losing her humanity."

"I know, we are looking for an alternative." Kevin replied. "Using the essence of the Gods has proven to be too dangerous each time it was unleashed. There has to be another way."

"Shouldn't we first find out what Prometheus wants?" Violet asked. "Why are we assuming he is evil right away? He was trapped on a rock and tortured for centuries."

"Exactly the reason why it is likely he'll want revenge." Duncan replied.

"You don't know that." Violet snapped at him.

"Okay, calm down." Billie said as she positioned herself between them. "Violet, I get where you are coming from, but an eternity tied to a mountain while being tortured is not really good for one's sanity, I think."

"Well, I just think it's good to ask what someone wants first and that people should be honest, so other people won't get hurt." Violet said with a glare at Duncan.

"I am guessing this is not about the Titan?" Kevin asked.

"Definitely not." Mikelle replied.

"Look, if you have personal issues, you need to resolve them fast. You have never faced anything like a Titan, you will need all your strength. You need to be united." Kevin said concerned.

"I am sorry, I don't think I can do that right now." Violet replied.

"Vi.." Duncan started.

"No, don't! You had your chance to talk to me." Violet interrupted him. "For weeks you let me believe something that was impossible."

"I had no idea, if I had known, I would have said something sooner." Duncan replied. "It was never meant to hurt you."

"Guys, come on, now is not exactly the right time or place." Billie added uncomfortably. "I mean, we're in the company of an Elder. One that has barely hit puberty, but still an Elder."

"Okay, I will pretend I am not offended by that." Kevin remarked.

"Sorry." Billie replied.

"No problem." Kevin said. "I just think that you will need to settle whatever this is, before facing Prometheus. Good or evil, we know nothing about him, and that is what worries me. If he is like his fellow Titans, the entire world is at risk."

"So we need to find out what his deal is, like what happened between him and the Gods." Mikelle suggested.

"We could ask that new History teacher at Magic School." Billie added. "If anyone knows, I bet it will be a history teacher."

"Good idea. You should do that. Perhaps there is some knowledge there that the Elders are unaware of." Kevin said. "Meanwhile, I will return to the Heavens and keep you posted."

Mikelle took hold of her charges and orbed them all way to Magic School in a column of bright blue lights. Kevin sighed as he overlooked the bay. Whatever was troubling the Chosen, they needed to fix it fast or they were putting themselves in even more danger. Titans were ruthless and incredibly powerful and only as a truly united front would they stand a chance.

Meanwhile, Kevin realized part of him was a little jealous of them. Life as an Elder was not as excited as he once imagined. He missed everyday life interactions with others his age, friends and dating. As an Elder, he was immortal and thus stuck as a teenager. The other Elders were not exactly fun people to hang out with, which was another reason he enjoyed being on earth. However, he quickly realized he could not permit himself to be selfish and think about stuff like that right now. He needed to focus all his attention on stopping Prometheus. In a column of orbs, he returned to the Heavens.

Xxx

On the middle of a small square in the city of San Francisco, a strong gust of wind suddenly appeared and a twister descended down from the sky. The Titan Prometheus appeared out of the twister and looked around. He looked up and found himself looking at a large building with white pillars in front of it. A copper sign read "American Museum of Natural History". Somehow, Prometheus hoped he would find some answers here about what had happened to the Gods. He had searched the world already, but there was no trace of them, which meant they had presumably fallen ages ago. Perhaps his plan of unleashing the sorrows had truly worked. Meanwhile, a crowd of confused mortals had gathered around Prometheus, shocked by him appearing out of nowhere.

"Where did he come from?" He heard one man asking.

"Do you think he is part of the new Greek display at the museum? I didn't know it came with a special effects show." A woman said to another.

"Look at that guy, looks like he is wearing a skirt." One of a group of youngsters said laughing.

Prometheus wondered if these people were fools. They apparently did not seem to recognize his power. Had humanity completely forgotten about magic? Without the Gods oppressing it, what had this world turned into? He needed to find some answers, and none of these mortals seemed to be capable of answering the questions he had about this new age. He took a few steps forward and the mortals that had gathered around him quickly cleared a path.

Prometheus stepped onto the stairs to the museum and headed inside. There was a line of people standing in a line in front of a transparent wall with a small hole in it, where a fat woman was handing out pieces of paper in exchange for coins. He walked past the line, but as he tried to proceed, a dark skinned man in a blue suit stopped him. He appeared to be some kind of guard or soldier.

"You need to buy a ticket to get in here, friend." The guard said.

"A ticket?" Prometheus asked confused.

"Yeah, a ticket." The guard said annoyed. "Did you run away from a mental hospital or something? Why the hell are you dressed in those rags?"

"I am not here for trouble, mortal." Prometheus said. "You had best step out of my way. I need to find answers."

"Look, you either get in line and buy a ticket, or you get your crazy ass outside and go bother someone else." The guard warned him.

"I have no time for this." Prometheus replied.

Prometheus pushed his hand against the guard's chest and he flew backwards into a box of transparent material, which shattered into a million pieces as he crashed into it. All around him, people began screaming and running and another guard came running up to him with some kind of black metal weapon in his hand.

"Freeze!" The second guard yelled as he aimed the weapon at him.

"No weapon of yours can hurt me. Just step out of my way." Prometheus warned him.

Prometheus took a step forward and the man fired his weapon. A loud bang sounded and a small piece of metal was shot at Prometheus' chest. It bounced off him and fell on the ground. Prometheus looked at it with surprise and picked it up. The guard looked at him with a shocked expression and fired two more pieces of metal at him, which also bounced off. Unimpressed, Prometheus threw away the piece of metal and walked past the stunned guard. He had wasted enough time dealing with these mortals.

After walking through a large hall, Prometheus entered a large room filled with statues and artifacts that he recognized from his time. Each had a description sign, though Prometheus quickly discovered that the statues looked nothing like the Gods and that the texts were filled with nonsense and lies. This museum apparently did not care about truth or accuracy in the slightest. The Gods were described as divine and tragic heroes, instead of the petty and corrupted fools that they were. This entire display was filled with lies and it taught him nothing. He still had no idea what had happened. Perhaps it was unwise to look at mortals for answers. He would have to go to the ones who held the answers, the ones who were there to begin with.

Prometheus was about to leave when his eye fell on a statue that looked familiar. A beautiful woman holding a jar. He did not need to look at the sign to know who it was. Pandora, his lover and betrayer. The only thing that had hurt worse than Zeus' torture was the pain of her betrayal. Prometheus could feel a rage burn inside as he looked at the blank face of the statue. He angrily slammed his fist into the statue and it shattered into a million pieces, sending a shockwave through the entire hall and causing various other statues to fall and crumble. Prometheus turned around and started to walk away. However, he stopped at a display of a set of armor resembling the one he had lost ages ago. He smashed the transparent material and took it with him as he disappeared from the museum in a violent gust of wind.

Xxx

In a dark cavern in the Underworld lit by several torches, a woman with dark skin and black hair was sitting on a throne build from bones. She was dressed in a dark red dress as one of her minions was sharpening the talons on her right hand with a blade, while her other arm ended in a stump where another hand had once been. She was Queen of the Harpies, a breed of elite demons. Another woman dressed in black leather entered the cavern and kneeled down before the throne.

"My Queen, I come bearing important news." the Harpy said.

"Leave us." The Queen commanded the minion sharpening her talons, who quickly bowed and left. "Is it about the great power we detected earlier?"

"Yes, my Queen." The Harpy replied. "From a reliable source I have heard that one of the Titans once again walks the Earth."

"I see, I suspected as much." The Queen said. "That kind of power is unmistakeable."

"Do you want me to inform the rest of the Brotherhood, my Queen?" The Harpy asked.

"No, I am interested to see exactly what this Titan will do." The Queen answered. "Let's just keep this between us for now. Perhaps there is a way we can make this work to our advantage."

"Of course, my Queen." The Harpy said as she took a deep bow and left the throne room.

The Queen of the Harpies smiled as she got up from her throne and headed to her private quarters. She had not witnessed the power of a Titan in a thousand years, not since they were defeated by the Olympians. If she played her cards right and could align herself with this Titan, she would no longer need the Brotherhood to achieve her goals. She only ever joined them because they were a possible means to an end. She had no loyalty toward them. If she could convince the Titan to work with her, she would have near-unlimited power and there would be nothing left that could stop her from reigning the Underworld.

xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Chosen Chapter 4: Rise of the Titan

Part 3

xxx

In a bright column of orbs, Mikelle and the Chosen appeared in the long and endless halls of Magic School. Violet had only been there once before and she was amazed by what she had seen. She could not believe that only a little while ago, she was completely unaware of the existence of magic. Now she was a witch who could see the future, with an actual destiny and all. She had been scared and confused a first and she still had a lot to learn, but she had actually begun to like magic. She had saved lives and made great friends, though at the moment, she mostly felt betrayed and hurt by her new friends.

Two weeks ago, Violet had told Duncan that she liked him. She had developed a crush on him in the weeks they had gotten to know each other and she wanted more, so she had asked him out. And then Duncan told her he was gay. Her world shattered and she felt angry and betrayed. She had no idea and he had never said anything, he acted like a straight guy. How was it fair to keep a secret like that and let her fall in love with him? It felt like he had pulled a cruel joke on her. She felt humiliated, like everyone knew behind her back and just laughed as she crashed and burned.

"Alright, we should find Arthur." Duncan said. "If anyone knows about Prometheus, I bet it's him."

"Hold on." Billie said as she grabbed Duncan by his shirt as he started to walk. Instead, she pushed him to a door on the side. "First things first."

"What are you doing?" Violet asked confused as Billie grabbed her by the arm and dragged her inside an empty class room.

"Before we do anything else, we need to talk, and by we, I mean you and Duncan." Billie said firmly as Mikelle closed the classroom door behind them.

"What is there to talk about?" Violet asked. She walked to the door, but Mikelle blocked it as if she were a security guard.

"Violet, come on." Duncan said. "Billie is right, you have not spoken two words to me in the last few weeks."

"Well, that's because I really did not want to talk to you." Violet replied without looking at him. "I figured, since you don't seem to share important little details like the fact that you're gay, we don't have a reason to talk."

"Alright, fine. I should have told you sooner." Duncan said. "But I never intended for any of this to happen. I thought we were just friends, I had no idea you felt something different."

"We were friends, but I guess I thought there could be more." Violet replied as she felt herself getting emotional.

"I'm sorry." Duncan said. "But that is never going to happen."

"Yeah, you made that very clear." Violet replied as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I don't know what else I can say to make this better." Duncan admitted.

"You can't. I don't know if there is a way to make this better." Violet said.

"Wait, Vi, what are you saying?" Billie asked concerned.

"I don't know." Violet cried out. "All of this is too much. I mean, you guys are my friends and we're connected through this whole destiny thing, but I need some time to deal with this. But I can't because the next magical disaster is always waiting to happen."

"What if we weren't connected through this Chosen thing?" Duncan asked. "What would you do? Would you leave? Would we still be friends?"

"I want us to be. But at the moment, I just feel stuck in a situation I don't want to be in." Violet said.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I feel that our friendship is more than some magical connection." Billie said. "I mean, sure that it how we got together, but that doesn't mean that is all we are. I believe we have a real thing here. You guys are probably the closest friends I ever had, and I am not ready to give that up over a fight like this."

"I second that." Mikelle said with a smile. "Plus, you know, the Elders would probably kill me if this little club here split us on my watch."

"I agree as well." Duncan said soberly. "But I am the one who caused this mess, so if anything were to change, I think it should be me who leaves instead of Violet."

"Wait, nobody is leaving." Billie said determined. "We can fix this, right Violet?"

Violet did not know what to say for a moment. She walked across the classroom and looked out the window, looking at an endless blue sky filled with clouds. Of course she loved her friends and wanted their friendship to be real and meaningful, but would they be friends if this whole magic thing had never happened? Growing up, Violet was never very popular, but she had a few friends in school. However, she had never had a true close friends, people that she could share everything with. She used to spend a lot of time alone. For a moment, she believed she had that with Billie and Duncan, only to be heartbroken when she took a risk.

As much as she wanted to just forget this ever happened and move on, there was something stopping her. Perhaps she was afraid to get hurt again, she did not really know. All she knew was that she was just starting to feel comfortable around her friends, and now that confidence was gone and she was once again the insecure girl she used to be.

"Look Violet, I should have told you." Duncan said as he appeared next to her. "But growing up, I never felt I would be accepted. My parents barely tolerate the fact I am gay and pretend it never happened. Most of people I went to school with still have no idea. It is really difficult for me to tell people. I wanted to tell you, but I was waiting for the moment I was sure. And then you told me you were in love with me and it all changed. I had to tell you, because I didn't want you to get hurt."

"So you were insecure?" Violet asked.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Duncan replied.

"I guess I should know how that feels." Violet admitted. "It's not that I don't understand, but when you told me, I was really hurt. It will take some time to really get over it."

"But you think you can get over it?" Duncan asked.

"I hope so. I really want to." Violet replied. "I mean, we were friends before I got this stupid crush, at least we were started to be friends. Perhaps we can go back to that."

"I don't think we can go back." Duncan said. "But maybe that is a good thing. Maybe now that we experienced this, we can be even better friends."

"You think so?" Violet asked.

"Yeah, I do." Duncan replied.

"Okay." Violet simply said with a faint smile as she wiped away her final tear.

"Okay? What does that mean, okay?" Duncan asked confirming.

"It means I think I can get past this, that we can be friends." Violet replied.

"Yay, oh, I am so happy!" Billie cheered happily. "Well, go on, give her a hug."

"Oh, well, I'm not really…" Duncan mumbled nervously. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine." Violet replied somewhat uneasy.

Duncan nodded and clumsily wrapped his hands around her as he gave her a hug. He felt tense like he was uncomfortable. With his hands around her, Violet felt better and caught herself thinking she did not want to let go. She laid her hand on his shoulder and unknowingly smelled his neck, which instantly felt awkward and she hoped he did not notice. She could not resist, since he always smelled so nice. She realized that even if they were friends, it would still take some time for things to feel normal.

"Alright, you two." Billie said impatiently after a while. "We still got an evil Titan to stop. Let's go."

Violet let go of Duncan and the two clumsily parted ways as Duncan smiled at her as he corrected his shirt. A moment later, Billie grabbed Violet by the arm and dragged her out the classroom, with Duncan and Mikelle following right behind them.

xxx

After studying the old journals of previous Guardians, Hope yawned as she slammed the old books shut and got up from her desk. None of the Guardians had apparently ever experienced something similar, which made it an even bigger mystery. She wondered what was so important that Pandora's Box would actually glow like an ancient traffic sign. Feeling hungry, Hope headed to the kitchen to get a snack when her phone started ringing.

"Hello?" Hope asked as she picked up while opening the fridge.

"Hope, hi, it's Darlene." Hope heard the voice of one her co-workers. "Listen, I know you just did a shift, but my kid is sick, so I am really hoping you can fill in for me."

"I don't know, let me think for a moment." Hope said as she looked across to the room to the now passive golden box on her table. She figured whatever danger it was had passed. "Yeah, I think I can take over, but you'll owe me big time."

"Of course, oh thank you so much." Darlene replied. "You're the best."

"I know, just make sure that little man of yours is feeling better soon. Bye" Hope replied before she hung up.

Hope quickly grabbed an old pizza slice from her fridge and walked over to the table where the box was standing. It had stopped glowing, but she could not be sure it was over. She figured the best thing she could do, was take the box with her. It would be safe in her locker at work and she would be close to it if anything happened. Luckily, she had not bothered changing out of her uniform since coming home, so she quickly ate her pizza while putting on her coat and putting the box in her backpack before heading out again.

Hope left her building and headed down the street, it was a relatively short walk to the diner of only a few blocks, so she always walked there. By cutting through an alley, it only took her ten minutes, and due to her powers and training she was not particularly concerned about muggers or other creeps lurking about.

However, as she was about to leave the alley, a small whirlwind appeared before her. A man appeared out of thin air. He was tall and handsome, with dark brown hair, and he was dressed in an ancient looking armor and tunic like in the movies. As she stopped, Hope felt the box in her backpack and noticed it had started glowing again. Whatever this guy was, he was connected to the box, so Hope took a step back and assumed a defensive position. The man turned to her and looked equally as surprised at her.

"Can I help you?" Hope asked.

"You, there is something about you." The man replied. "I was drawn here for some reason."

"Yeah, so what is your name?" Hope asked.

"My name is Prometheus, one of the Titans." The man said. "You seem to recognize I am not mortal. Most mortal fools appear completely unaware."

"Well, I have seen quite a few things." Hope replied, as her mind was racing trying to place the very familiar yet strange name of the so-called Titan. She was sure she had heard or seen it before.

"What is that glow?" Prometheus asked as he pointed at her backpack.

"Nothing to concern yourself with." Hope replied defensively. "Obviously neither of us know what the other wants, so I suggest just leaving each other alone."

"I am afraid I cannot do that." Prometheus said as he took a step forward, at which Hope instinctively jumped back. "You see, everything in this world is strange to me since I was freed from my prison. I tried to find answers, but could not find any. You are the first I encountered that seems capable of answering my questions. I think that is why I was drawn to you."

"Alright." Hope replied carefully. "Tell me what you want to know and I will try to help."

"Thank you." Prometheus replied. "A lot in this world seems strange, much has changed in the centuries I was trapped. I need to know what became of the Gods, who is in charge now?"

"The Gods?" Hope asked. "Which Gods do you mean?"

"I mean the Gods of Olympus." Prometheus replied.

Hope started to suspect why this man was giving her these strange feelings of concern. Obviously, he was ancient and somehow connected to the Gods. She suddenly remembered what exactly a Titan was. She had read about them in the journals and knew they meant trouble. However, this one seemed more confused than outright evil. She also worried about how this all connected to the box. Obviously, the box was warning her about him and he appeared to be drawn to it. This could only mean bad news. After all, nothing good had ever come after the box of sorrows.

"The Gods were defeated centuries ago, the Elders stripped them of their powers and returned them to average mortals." Hope explained. 'They are all long dead."

"I see, so who is in charge of this world now?" Prometheus asked.

"I am not sure what you mean." Hope replied. "There is still good and evil out there, but this world belongs to humanity. There are different countries and leaders, but nobody controls the world."

"Good." Prometheus said seemingly satisfied. "So this world is better off after all."

"Well, I guess." Hope replied. "I mean, humanity is not perfect. We got wars, discrimination, famine. But that's part of life, nothing we can do about it."

"But the world should be better." Prometheus said disappointed and his voice became angered as he went on. "I did what I did so humanity could rise from their oppression. Now they simply oppress each other? Those fools!"

"What are you talking about?" Hope asked concerned, stupidly wishing she had not blabbered about war and hunger to a confused Titan.

"I need to think about this." Prometheus said, though mostly to himself. "I freed them so they could be free of corruption, but what if they are all corrupt themselves?"

With the Titan distracted by his own thoughts, Hope looked around and planned her escape. She hoped that while he was muttering to himself, she could make a clean break. However, before she could take a single step, five puffs of smoke appeared around them and took the shape of five female demons with dark skin dressed in tight black leather. Hope noticed they had sharp talons on their fingers. Prometheus also noticed them and looked up.

"Okay, this is getting complicated." Hope whispered. "Why did I ever leave my apartment?"

"I see your pitiful demon kind survived through the centuries." Prometheus said angrily. "I thought you Harpies would be long extinct by now."

Harpies, the name triggered Hope's memories of vicious demons hailing from ancient Greece. They were dangerous and powerful. She had never encountered them, but other guardians had written about them in the journals.

"You should not underestimate us." One of the Harpies said. "We outlived your race."

"I can still change that." Prometheus replied.

"Really, want to test that theory?" the Harpy asked. "Because I think being trapped on that rock for a few ages is bound to have drained some of your power."

The Harpy quickly raised her hand and fired a bolt of blue energy from it, which shot at Prometheus. However, the Titan raised his arm and deflected it against the wall, though it left a small scorch mark on his skin. Prometheus looked down at it unimpressed and then walked towards the Harpy, who raised her talons and charged at him ready to slash him open.

Before she could make a scratch, Prometheus grabbed her by the arm and tossed her into the wall, causing it to crack and tremble as bricks shattered and fell down. Two other harpies screamed and charged at him. Hope tried to use the opportunity to flee, but found her path blocked by the remaining two harpies. She raised her hand and fired a blast of concussive white energy at the Harpy on her right, who was thrown back. She then ducked barely in time to avoid a talon from the other Harpy and cartwheeled back as the demon furiously came slashing after her.

After a cartwheel, Hope stopped and spun and leg as the crouched on the floor, tripping the Harpy behind her. She then tried to kick the Harpy, but the demon rolled away. Hope then noticed the other Harpy charging at her and jumped up in a backflip while kicking the Harpy across the face. She landed kneeled on the ground and noticed Prometheus completely trashing the other three Harpies behind her with his bare hands. She could actually feel the vibrations of his powerful punches and pleaded she would not have to face him next.

As she got up, Hope unleashed another energy blast and threw back the two Harpies attacking her. She looked around and noticed a dumpster beneath a fire escape. She needed to get out of there and ran toward it. She jumped up against the dumpster and used the wall as a step to leap up to the fire escape several feet above her. As she climbed up the fire escape, she suddenly noticed one of the Harpies had managed to slash open her backpack. Before she could react, she saw Pandora's Box falling from her bag and landing on the ground below her, where it started glowing in a golden light.

Prometheus just vanquished the last Harpy he was fighting when his eyes suddenly focussed on the golden box. His eyes widened as he recognized it. He led out a furious scream that literally caused the buildings to shake and stepped toward the box. Desperate to protect the box, Hope leaped down and landed in between Prometheus and the box, though he swung his arm and easily tossed her aside and she painfully hit the wall.

"You are one of hers, one of the Guardians." Prometheus proclaimed bitterly. "I loved her, but she betrayed me. Now I will make her regret it."

Prometheus picked up the box and it stopped glowing. He turned to look at Hope before disappearing in a small violet whirlwind. At the same time, the two remaining Harpies exchanged looks and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Hope sighed in both pain and disappointment as she realized she had failed to protect the box. Now the entire world was in horrible danger.

xxx


	4. Chapter 4

Chosen Chapter 4: Rise of the Titan

Part 4

Xxx

History teacher Arthur Cobbs stood in front of a class of bored teenage witches. The young professor, dressed in a standard black teaching robe, noticed his students were starting to lose focus as he was telling them the history of Atlantis, the mysterious island nation that was destroyed by magic. It was supposed to be an interesting lesson that taught them the importance of controlling one's magic, but like most students, these teenagers were not interested in ancient history. Luckily, Arthur had other ways of telling his story.

"So let's all try to imagine what Atlantis looked like." Arthur said as he walked around the class. "There was sea all around, a grand and beautiful city, very advanced for its age."

"Boring." A student whispered.

Arthur smiled and snapped his finger. Suddenly the air in the classroom ripples and it disappeared. Instead, they found themselves on a beach with the students' benches in the white sands. An enormous city of white stone was visible in front of them, which was lit by floating blue orbs. The students looked both shocked and amazed as they saw what was happening.

"This is awesome." A female student said. "It's so real."

"It's just an illusion." Another replied.

"So are you interested in listening what happened to Atlantis now?" Arthur asked. "Or should I just show you?"

"Show us." The students replied excited.

"Alright." Arthur said. "Well, we don't actually know for sure what happened, but we do know that the entire nation was destroyed by magic."

As Arthur told his tale, loud explosions were heard from the city and fires started erupting. The ground begun to shake and the waves grew wild. Lighting began to strike in the distance.

"Thousands of years ago, Atlantis was wiped off the earth by untamed magic." Arthur explained as the city started to disappear into the ocean. "It disappeared into the sea and nobody knows where it was exactly, and it has never been found. The destruction of Atlantis was exactly the reason that The Elders founded Magic School, to ensure that young witches like yourself could learn to control their magic and avoid another disaster like this from occurring."

As the city descended into the ocean, buildings collapsed as fire continued to spread across the landscape. Even though they knew it was an illusion, Arthur noticed some of the younger students becoming a little scared as imaginary water started filling the room. Illusions were just deceptions and could trick all senses but touch, so they could not actually feel the water. However, a scared mind could easily play tricks on the bodies.

Arthur clapped his hands and it one bright flash, the city of Atlantis had disappeared and they were back in the boring old history classroom.

"So what is the lesson here?" Arthur asked.

"That we need to control our magic." One of the students said. "So we don't destroy cities."

"Exactly." Arthur replied. "I think that is enough for today. Be sure to read the chapter on Atlantis in your books carefully, as there will be a few question about in in your exams. Class dismissed."

The students complained softly about the test as they gathered their things and left the classroom. Meanwhile, Arthur grabbed his own stuff and wanted to head out for a break, when he bumped into some familiar faces when he left the classroom, namely the Chosen.

"Hi, good to see you again." Arthur said. "I trust everything worked out with the whole Wendigo thing?"

"Yeah, totally. Look we need your help." Billie said.

"What exactly do you need a history teacher for?" Arthur asked.

"A history lesson." Duncan replied. "Mainly about the Titans, and one in particular. Prometheus."

"The Titans?" Arthur asked. "Is that why some of the other professors were worried this morning?"

"Probably, Prometheus has been freed from his prison and we suspect he is going to cause some trouble." Billie said.

"Actually, we don't know what we wants." Violet countered. "Which is why we need your help. We figured you'd know about Titans and such."

"Well, I guess you're in luck." Arthur said. "Greek mythology was actually a very big part of my field research. I was trying to separate mythology from what really happened, since most of it are really just myths."

"We know, the whole Gods being mortal thing." Billie replied impatiently. "So can you help us out?"

"Yeah, of course." Arthur replied. "I mean, a Titan running loose is a potential threat to all of us. Let's head into my office."

Arthur guided the others through the labyrinth of hallways in the schools until they reached his small but practical office near the library. As they entered, Arthur walked over to his bookcase and grabbed his personal books and notes on the Titans. He then walked over to his desk and started looking for the information he needed.

"Prometheus you said, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, that's the one." Mikelle replied.

"Alright, let's see here." Arthur said as he flipped to the right page. "According to the myth, Prometheus was punished by the Greek God Zeus for stealing fire and granting it to mortals. He was then tied to a rock where an eagle would eat out his liver each day for all eternity."

"That's really gross." Billie remarked with a disgusted face.

"It's also not true." Arthur added. "Prometheus was bound to a rock by Zeus as a punishment, though he was cursed to die by lightning each day and then coming back alive. The reason why he was cursed is also quite different from the myth."

"So if he didn't steal fire, what did he do?" Violet asked.

"According to some ancient scrolls found in a temple, Prometheus was a Titan who betrayed the others by siding with the Gods. The reason for doing this was that he felt their tyranny was wrong. However, when he saw the Gods becoming corrupt themselves, he tried to destroy them as well."

"So he was actually doing a good thing?" Violet asked. "He tried to free humanity of the tyranny of the Gods."

"Yes, but the way he tried to do so was far from good." Arthur said as he continued reading. "This is pretty interesting, according to these scrolls, Prometheus tried to destroy the Gods by unleashing the sorrows of the world, thus weakening the Gods and allowing the Elders to remove their powers. However, by unleashing the sorrows, Prometheus brought much pain and suffering into the world."

"Oh my god." Violet replied shocked.

"Wait, the sorrows?" Duncan asked. "As in the sorrows of Pandora's Box?"

"Yes, that's what I meant when I said it got interesting." Arthur continued. "Apparently, after defeating the Titans, Prometheus lived on earth as fell in love with a mortal woman, Pandora. However, she could not stand to see the world suffer, so she betrayed him. Pandora was then given the box by the Gods and was able to call back the sorrows."

"Wow, Greek mythology is really messed up." Mikelle remarked.

"Seriously?" Duncan asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's what you take out of this?"

"I never liked history." Mikelle replied with a shrug. "Let's get to the present. What would this Prometheus dude want now?"

"Well, I'd say he is one pretty pissed off Titan." Billie said after some thought. "So where do you go if all the people you're angry with are long dead?"

"Wait, you think he is going after the box?" Duncan asked.

"Why not?" Billie replied. "I think it is the only tie he has to his past."

"He could also just be confused and lost." Violet suggested. "I mean, he was freed from a rock after centuries, imagine how strange the world must be to him."

"That's true." Billie said. "But I think our first move should be to make sure the box is safe. Then we can go find out what Prometheus is really after, agreed?"

"Agreed." Violet replied with a sigh as Duncan and Mikelle nodded.

"Alright. Mikelle, I think you should inform the Elders of what we've learned. Perhaps they got some news as well." Billie said. "Then we go find the current Guardian."

"How will you do that?" Arthur asked. "Guardians are sworn to secrecy, so she will be well-hidden. I doubt even the Elders know her location."

"True, but I know some people who know the current Guardian." Billie replied. "It will just take a phone call."

"I'll go inform the Elders." Mikelle said as she disappeared in a column of orbs.

"We should get going as well." Billie said. "Thanks, Arthur you've been a big help."

"It's what I am here for." Arthur replied. "Just be careful, they are not called Titans for nothing."

"Don't worry, we got I covered." Billie replied.

"We do?" Duncan asked sceptically.

"Shut up." Billie replied. "Alright, bye."

"It was nice to see you again." Violet said with a smile.

"Yeah, you too." Arthur replied as the Chosen left his office.

As she left, Violet looked back over her shoulder and waved at him. Arthur tried to wave back, but she had already disappeared behind the corner. He had not noticed her smile before, in fact, last time she was so worried about her friend that he had barely noticed how cute she really was. He hoped to see her again soon, though under different, non-world threatening circumstances. Arthur sighed and said down at the desk. His break time was almost over, so he quickly grabbed an apple before heading to his next class.

xxx

A magical door appeared in the middle of Billie's dorm room. As it flung open, Billie stepped out while busy talking to someone on her phone. Duncan and Violet were right behind her as the magical door disappeared in a white glow when it slammed shut. A moment later, Billie hung up her phone and slipped it back in her jeans.

"Alright, I just got this girl Hope's address from Phoebe." Billie said. "She is the current Guardian of Pandora's Box."

"Honestly, every time I think magic can no longer surprise me, it does." Violet said. "I mean, Pandora's Box? Seriously?"

"Yeah, it must be weird finding out all this stuff like this." Duncan replied. "I mean, I grew up with magic, but some stuff is still insane to me."

Billie was relieved and glad that her friends were at least able to talk normally again. Although things were not perfect, there was at least some progress. It was one less thing she needed to worry about, now all she needed to deal with was a potential mad god and the apocalypse, no big deal.

"We need to find Hope, she is our best chance to find out what is going on." Billie said.

About an hour later, Billie and the others arrived at the address that Phoebe had given her. It was a small apartment complex in the centre of the city and it looked cheap and rundown. Not exactly the place you'd expect to find a mythical box filled with horrors. They entered the building and headed up to the third floor.

"Alright, we have no idea how she knows, but she does not know who we are." Billie said as they walked up the stairs. "So we will need to convince her we're on her side."

"And that she could be in danger." Violet said.

"I thought you were all about giving Prometheus the benefit of the doubt?" Duncan asked.

"Well, that was before I found out he tried to destroy the Gods and did not care if humanity was wiped out in the process." Violet replied concerned. "I get why Pandora betrayed him, even though she loved him."

"Alright, I think this is it." Billie said as they reached the third floor. "Its apartment number 11, at the end of the hall there."

"So what is the plan?" Duncan asked.

"We just talk to her, explain what is going on peacefully." Billie replied as she knocked on the door.

Billie and the others waited, but nobody answered the door. However, she could clearly hear someone moving on the other side of the door. She knocked again and waited, but quickly realized that maybe Hope was in danger. Perhaps they were already too late. Running out of patience, Billie waved her arm and telekinetically flung the door open. She stepped inside the apartment, but before she could call out to Hope, she was punched in the face and stumbled against the door.

Billie quickly reacted and moved aside, barely avoiding a heeled kick that cracked the door. She kicked back and saw a blonde girl barely older than her stumble back. The girl raised her hands and fired a blast of white energy. Billie leaped up and levitated to avoid the blast. She then waved her hand to telekinetically throw the girl against the couch and landed on the floor. Both girls prepared for round two, but Duncan and Violet stormed in the room.

"Hold on, Stop!" Duncan yelled out as he raised his hands. "We're on the same side."

"Who the hell are you?" The girl asked.

"We're witches, the Chosen." Duncan explained. "And you're Hope, right? The Guardian? We're here to help."

"Well, then you're too late." Hope said casually as she stood up.

"You pack quite a punch." Billie said as she rubbed her sore cheek. She was impressed with her, even though she was a little mad about being punched in the face.

"You're not bad yourself. Let me get you some ice." Hope replied as she walked to the fridge. "So you're witches? How did you know where to find me?"

"We have some mutual friends." Billie replied. "The Halliwell sisters."

"Oh yeah. I heard they had retired." Hope said as she tossed a bag of ice to Billie, who caught it and pressed in against her sore cheek. "So you're the Charmed Ones 2.0?"

"Something like that." Billie replied with a smile.

"Hold you, you said we're too late? What did you mean?" Violet asked.

"Like I said, too late." Hope said. "Prometheus found me and he took the box."

"You know about Prometheus?" Duncan asked surprised.

"Not when he found me, but his name sounded familiar right away." Hope replied. "So after I got home, I searched through these old Guardian journals and discovered who and what he was. We're in some serious trouble."

"No kidding." Billie replied.

"You don't know the half of it." Hope said. "Prometheus has the box, yes, and that is probably the worst thing. But then Harpies showed up."

"Harpies?" Violet asked.

"Elite demons hailing from ancient Greece." Duncan quickly said. "How are they involved, what did they want?"

"I don't know. I don't think they knew about the box, but they were after Prometheus." Hope said as recalled what happened. "Maybe they think they can use him to strengthen their position."

"Well, the priority should be finding the box, before Prometheus can unleash the sorrows." Billie said. "We can deal with the Harpies later."

"I agree, the box is what matters most." Hope added. "The Gods entrusted the Guardians with the destiny to keep the sorrows from ever being released again. I already failed at that once, I don't want to fail again."

"Wait, so if the Gods captured the sorrows to begin with, where did they originally come from?" Violet asked confused.

"From what I can tell, the sorrows have always been there." Hope explained. "Capturing and containing them is actually one the few good things the Greek Gods did for this world, before they became tyrants."

"Alright, enough talk." Billie said. "We need to move. Our initial plan was to find out what Prometheus wanted, but now that he has the box, that seems obvious. What is our next step?"

"Easy, Prometheus may have the box, but I can still sense its location." Hope replied. "And now that I have you guys to support me, we might actually have a chance to get it back without being killed or whatever."

"That doesn't sound really assuring." Violet commented nervously.

Billie could not help but smile. She was impressed by Hope's determination. She was the Guardian, the only one in the world, and the burden fell on her shoulders alone. Billie had her own destiny, but she always had her friends to support and fall back on. Hope was alone and she seemed incredible strong and brave. Looking around the apartment, Billie sadly realized she probably had to give up a lot to protect the box at all costs. She wondered if she could do the same if she were in Hope' shoes. At least now she had someone to help her.

Xxx

As night started to fall over the city of San Francisco and the sun was setting, Prometheus stood on a hill overlooking the city and the bay. He admired humanity for their evolution as he looked at the red steel bridge with hundreds of metal vehicles known as cars move across in high speed. However, he was also disappointed in them. Observing the world, he had learned there was much war, hate and pain the world, something he had wanted to avoid by bringing down the Gods. I was obvious now that humanity could cause just as much misery to themselves.

Prometheus looked down on the golden box standing at his feet. Each time he looked at it, he was painfully reminded of the moment Pandora took the box and betrayed him. By siding with the Gods, she had undone all his work and prevented them from being together. Instead, he was condemned to an eternity of pain and torture. Now he was alone, Pandora was gone and so were the Gods. He was the most powerful being in a corrupt and disappointing world, and he had no idea what to do.

A column of smoke rose up from the ground and took the shape of a dark skinned woman dressed in a crimson dress and black robe. Another Harpy, but Prometheus recognized her status as Queen of her tribe. He noticed her looking at the box and recognizing it.

"What do you want, demon?" Prometheus asked.

"Contemplating what to do?" the Queen asked. "It must be difficult, waking up in a world that no longer remembers or cares about you."

"So what do you suggest?" Prometheus asked.

"You hold the most powerful weapon in this world in your hands." The Queen said. "A warrior with no purpose." She moved closer to him and let one of her talons gently slide down his face. "I can give you a purpose."

"You want the box." Prometheus replied unmoved.

"I want everything I desire." The Queen said suggestively as she let her talon slide down his chest piece. "Help me and I can give you what you desire."

"And what is that?" Prometheus asked.

"She betrayed you. You're bitter and angry. Lonely perhaps." The Queen said. "I can help with at least one of those things, perhaps more."

The Queen moved closer and pressed her seductive body against his. With her sharp talons she took hold on his chin until they pierced his skin and drew blood. She pulled him in for a kiss as she leaned forward and worked her tongue into his mouth. In a moment, Pandora's beautiful and treacherous face flashed before Prometheus' eyes, but then he forgot about her and embraced his lust.

xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Chosen Chapter 4: Rise of the Titan

Part 5

Xxx

In her dark lair in the Underworld, the Harpy Queen smiled as she opened her eyes and turned around in her bed covered in velvet red sheets. Next to her lay Prometheus, still peacefully asleep for probably the first time in centuries. She admired the sight of his beautiful face and broad chest that appeared as if it was carved out of marble. She placed her talon on his chest and let her talons slide down to his stomach. She had truly enjoyed his company and his divine body, but she had business to attend to. She stood up from her bed and wrapped the velvet red sheets around her beautiful caramel skin as she walked away.

She walked across the room and circled around a small table which held the mythical Pandora's Box. She had recognized it the moment she saw Prometheus with it. All that power wrapped in such a small little box. She placed her talons on the box and tried to open it, but it remained sealed. Frustrated, the Queen looked at her other arm, which ended in a scarred stump after her hand had been cut off years earlier. Her beautiful talons gone forever, leaving her disfigured forever.

"What are you doing?" Prometheus asked.

The Queen turned around and saw the Titan standing behind her. She let her eyes roll over his perfect physique. She had planned to dispose of him once she had gotten her way, but perhaps there was a way she could keep him, a little pet to play with when she felt like it, or just something pretty to look at. She was a Queen after all.

"Just looking at the box." The Queen replied. "Did I wake you?"

"I noticed you were not in bed." Prometheus said. "What are you doing with the box?"

"Like I said, just looking." The Queen replied. "You know I cannot open it even I wanted to. I would need the Guardian for that."

"Is that what you want?" Prometheus asked. "To release the sorrows? Is that why you came to me?"

"Of course not." The Queen said seductively as she walked over to him and placed her talon on his chest. "I did not even know you had the box."

"Then what do you want from me?" Prometheus asked.

"Well, I liked what you did to me earlier." The Queen said with a smile.

"What happened to your hand?" Prometheus asked when he noticed it missing.

"Just a little disagreement that ended badly." The Queen replied as she quickly hid it beneath the sheets. "Don't worry, the bitch got what she deserved. I just wish I could have paid her back personally."

"So what happens now?" Prometheus asked.

"What do you want?" The Queen asked.

"I wish I knew." Prometheus said as she walked past her and placed his hand on the box, causing it to glow. "Centuries ago, I tried to destroy the Gods to prevent this world from being corrupted, but I don't think the world had gotten any better for it."

"Yeah, they call demons the evil ones, but humanity itself isn't much better." The Queen replied. "So what do you intend to do about it?"

"I tried to free the world and the woman I loved betrayed me." Prometheus said angrily. "I would have done anything for her, destroy the world if I had to."

"Well, we don't have to destroy it, but we can make it ours." The Queen said as she took his hand. "Together, we can bring this world to its knees and do things right."

"I never wanted to rule." Prometheus said.

"And you won't have to." The Queen replied. "I will be Queen and you'll be my prince."

"I don't even know your name." Prometheus remarked.

"My name is something I keep hidden very well." The Queen said. "Who needs a name when you have a title instead?"

"I want to know, if you truly believe we can be together." Prometheus said.

"Despoina." The Queen whispered, she had not spoken or heard her true name in centuries and it sounded strange to say it again.

"It suits you." Prometheus said as he ran his hand through her hair and kissed her passionately.

"Thank you." The Queen said as she took a breath. "So will you stand with me?"

"Promise me this is not just some trick for power." Prometheus demanded as he firmly grabbed her hand. "I have already been betrayed once before."

"I am not some silly mortal girl." The Queen said insulted. "I am a demon and a Queen. If I give you my word, you can trust it. Call me your Queen and we will be together."

"So be it, my Queen." Prometheus said as he kneeled and kissed her hand.

The Queen enjoyed the sight of a man on his knees, especially one so beautiful and strong. He was a Titan, tough what he possessed in power, he seemingly lacked in reason. One betrayal by a woman and he was willing to give himself fully to another who promised him love. The Queen did not even know what love was. All she knew was lust, a lust for him and an even bigger lust for power. With one night in her bed and a few simple words, she had him wrapped around her finger.

The Queen snapped her finger and two Harpies came waking in. They did not seem surprised to find Prometheus kneeled before their Queen, for they had seen it happen before.

"Take my suitor and give him food, a warm bath and proper attire, give him everything he wants." The Queen ordered her minions. "But beware, this one is all mine."

The Harpies took Prometheus by the arms and guided him out of the bedchambers without saying a word. The Queen walked over to her closet and another Harpy came in to help her get dressed herself. It was time to do business, starting with getting the Guardian and then taking care of the rest of the Brotherhood. After all, she no longer required them.

Xxx

Back in her dorm room, Billie impatiently paced across the room while holding a notepad and a pen, trying to figure out a spell that could help them out. Meanwhile, Duncan had gone off to create some potions to help them. Across the room, Violet and Hope were sitting on the bed in lotus position while holding hands and their eyes closed. Billie figured that perhaps Violet could get a premonition off Hope that could help them, though so far nothing had happened.

"Oh, this is useless." Billie called out annoyed as she flung the notepad across the room.

"Okay, just stay calm, we'll figure this out." Violet replied.

"Did you see anything?" Billie asked.

"No." Violet admitted. "Honestly, I am just as lost as you are. We're up against a Titan and we have no idea how to defeat him."

"Hopefully Mikelle will have some answers." Billie said.

"Wait a minute, guys, you can't give up so easily." Hope said. "Aren't you the most powerful witches right now?"

"I guess, but that doesn't mean we always know what we're doing." Billie replied.

"You need to change the way you think, stop being insecure." Hope said.

"That's easier said than done, I've been trying to do that my whole life." Violet said. "I'm a nervous wreck."

"I get that, but you need to find your inner strength, trust in yourself and each other." Hope replied.

"Did Ghandi teach you that?" Billie remarked sceptically.

"No, the previous guardians." Hope explained. "When I started out as a Guardian, I was scared, I thought I was just a girl and I could not handle it. I felt weak and that made me weak. So I started reading the journals, started meditating and training until I felt more secure. I was on my own, but you have each other, so trust on that."

"Maybe you're right." Billie said as she looked at Violet. "But things haven't exactly been going great in the group. I guess we need to find that trust."

Violet did not respond, but Billie knew she understood what she was saying. Even though she and Duncan were speaking again, did not mean everything between them was solved. Billie wished she could just smack them both over the head and be done with it, but she knew it would more than that. At least they were making progress. At that time, a column of orbs descended down from the ceiling and Mikelle appeared.

"So what's the news?" Billie asked.

"Nothing good." Mikelle said. "The Elders were tracking Prometheus, but they lost him. They believe he is in the Underworld now."

"The Harpies." Hope concluded.

"Most likely." Mikelle replied. "However, the question is whether he is their prisoner or guest."

"Why would a Titan work with Harpies?" Billie asked.

"Perhaps because he lost everything else." Violet said. "His entire world is gone, so perhaps he is looking for something new."

"And with the Harpies, that cannot be a good thing." Billie added. "So do the Elders know how to stop him, or the Harpies for that matter?"

"They're still working on finding a way to stop Prometheus." Mikelle said. "The Harpies we should be able to handle, they're immune to your individual powers, but can be vanquished with a strong enough spell or a potion."

"So we go hunting for Harpies." Billie said.

"I could not agree more." Hope said as she picked up a backpack she had brought. "Luckily, I came prepared. They may be immune to your powers, but I am not a witch."

Hope opened the backpack and drew out two blades about the size of her lower arms. She spun them around in her hands like a trained warrior before sticking them in her belt. Billie was impressed. She was pretty skilled in combat herself, though perhaps Hope could teach her some moves when all of this was over.

Xxx

A little while later, the group, including Duncan, appeared in The Underworld in a column of orbs. Billie wielded her trusted athame while Hope drew her blades ready for action. At the same time, Violet was armed with potions Duncan had prepared and Duncan conjured a crossbow to defend himself. While getting ready, Billie had come up with a vanquishing spell for the Harpies, which was safely tucked in her jeans. They were entirely prepared to deal with the Harpies, though they would be in trouble if Prometheus had truly sided with them.

"Look what we have here." An amused voice sounded. "We were just coming to look for you."

From several corridors, Harpies appeared dressed in black leather. Each were armed with their sharp talons. The group quickly formed a circle they were being surrounded and Billie counted a total of ten vicious Harpies ready to shred them to pieces.

"Remember, the Queen wants the Guardian alive." One of the Harpies said. "She doesn't care about the rest."

"I think you need to rethink that." Billie said. "You clearly don't know who you're dealing with."

"Please, like we care about you witches." The Harpy said.

"Really? How about now?!" Billie asked as she tossed the athame at the Harpy.

The athame flew across the cavern and landed in the left shoulder of the Harpy, who screamed out in pain, but quickly yanked it out and tossed in to the ground.

"Kill them!" the Harpy screamed.

The Harpy in charge threw a laser bolt at Billie, who ran forward and slid across the floor to avoid the bolt, tackling the Harpy. She then telekinetically called for her athame and aimed it at another Harpy before flipping to her feet. The Harpy stumbled backwards and looked at the blade in her stomach in horror before bursting out into flames.

At the same time, Hope ran forward and raised her hands, firing an energy blast that caused two Harpies to crash into a wall. She drew her blades and ran them through a third, who screamed and exploded into flames. She was then attacked by another Harpy.

On the other side of the cavern, Duncan stood defensively in front of Violet and Mikelle aiming his crossbow at the three Harpies surrounding them. He eventually settled on a target and fired, though the Harpy caught the arrow and snapped it with her talons. Duncan quickly tried to reload as the Harpy lashed out at him. However, before she could reach him, Violet tossed a potion at her feet and she was vanquished in a fiery explosion.

At the same time, Mikelle hit another Harpy across the face with her fist and kicked her in the stomach before engaging in hand-to-hand combat. The other Harpy tried to attack Duncan as he reloaded, but he was slightly faster and fired an arrow in her chest, vanquishing her.

Billie found herself fighting two Harpies and a little outnumbered. She levitated up and jumped over them, reaching for her athame as she landed on the floor. A sharp pained coursed through her arm as it was slashed open by a sharp talon. She was then grabbed by the shoulders and tossed across the room. She looked up and noticed Hope and Mikelle were still engaged in hand-to-hand combat, while Duncan and Violet were throwing potions and firing arrows at whatever came close. Billie counted six remaining Harpies, including the injured one in charge.

However, Billie suddenly noticed the Harpy in charge appearing in a puff of smoke behind Duncan. She screamed his name, but it was too late, as the Harpy launched her talons in his back and he fell to the floor. Violet screamed and threw a potion that vanquished her, before kneeling down next to Duncan. Another Harpy then knocked her unconscious and she fell over the heavily bleeding Duncan. Much to her horror, Billie realized they were losing.

"Hope!" Billie called out.

Hope looked up and saw the others unconscious on the floor. She then fired an energy blast at the Harpy she was fighting and ran across the room. However, before she could reach the others, the Harpy guarding them attacked her and kicked the blades from her hand. She then kicked Hope across the face and she fell to the ground.

One of the Harpies attacking Billie grabbed her by the hair and aimed a talon at her throat. Meanwhile, Mikelle was pinned to the ground by the one she had been fighting and the three remaining Harpies circled around Hope.

"It's over." The Harpy holding Billie said. "The three of you, take the Guardian to the Queen, we will take care of the witches."

The three Harpies surrounded Hope nodded and lifted her up, dragging her across the floor. When Hope resisted, one of them hit her across the face and she fell unconscious. They disappeared into a corridor, leaving Billie and the others with the two remaining Harpies.

"You stupid witches, did you really think you stood a chance?" The Harpy whispered. "I am going to slit your throat and watch you bleed to death."

"I don't think so." Billie said and she head-butted the Harpy, who screamed in anger as she let go.

Billie reached out her hand and her athame flung into her arm. She then turned around and stabbed the Harpy in the stomach, smiling as the watching the demon go up in flames. Across the room, Mikelle escaped her captor by dissolving in orbs and reappearing next to her. She then grabbed a potion and vanquished her.

"Oh God, Duncan." Billie called out as she rushed over to him.

Billie and Mikelle both ran to their friends. Billie picked up Violet, who slowly regained consciousness, while Mikelle held her hands over Duncan, who was covered in blood. When Violet saw Duncan, she started to cry and pleaded for him to be okay. For a long time, nothing seemed to happen and Billie feared the worst. However, the blood stain then slowly became smaller as the wounds were healed and Billie sighed when she heard Duncan gasp for air.

"Oh, that hurt." Duncan said softy as he got up.

Before anyone could say another thing, Violet let go of Billie and wrapped her arms around Duncan, embracing him tightly as she cried in relief. Meanwhile, Mikelle moved over to Billie and started to heal her shredded arm.

"The Harpies have Hope." Mikelle said.

"I know. They will lead us right to the Queen." Billie said, revealing their hidden plan. "I did not expect that many though, this could have ended badly."

"Tell me about it." Duncan remarked.

"We're never doing this again." Violet added.

"Right now, all that matters is following them." Billie said. "Let's go."

The Chosen got up and followed the Harpies that took Hope into the dark corridor. Even though it was part of the plan to get Hope captured, it was a little close to comfort and Billie still felt the chills running down her spine when she realized her friends could have died. She would make the Queen pay for hurting her friends, and even Prometheus could not stop her from achieving that goal.

xxx

Hope was painfully aware of every rock she was dragged over as two of the Harpies holding her carried her by the arms through a dark corridor. The third was walking in front of them. Hope resisted the urge to fight, even though she knew she could probably handle them. The entire point f this was to be taken to the Queen, so the others could follow her. However, Hope feared for her new friends as she realized the plan might have worked too well. She shook off the feeling and told herself that she needed to trust in the Chosen.

Hope was dragged into a large cavern lit by several torches. There was a large fire in the middle of the room in front of an elevation of rocks on which a throne stood. The Harpy Queen was sitting on the throne dressed in a revealing black dress with long sleeves that draped over her arms. On a table next to her stood Pandora's Box. Hope was roughly tossed on the ground before the throne and looked up defiantly.

"Guardian. I've been waiting for you." The Queen said. "Let's skip the formalities, I suspect you know why I brought you here alive."

"You want me to open the box." Hope concluded. "That will never happen. I will never unleash the sorrows again. And if you kill me, the box will just teleport itself to the next Guardian."

"Perhaps you are right, but there are other ways." The Queen said.

The Queen snapped her finger and two Harpies emerged from another corridor, escorting the Titan Prometheus. He was dressed in a dark leather gladiator skirt, leather boots and armored shoulder pads that attached with two leather straps across his bare chest. He took place on a seat next to the Queen and she playfully placed her talons on his arm. Hope realized that Prometheus was not a captive of the Harpies, but that he had joined them, which meant they were all doomed.

xxx


	6. Chapter 6

Chosen Chapter 4: Rise of the Titan

Part 6

Xxx

Hope was smacked across the face and fell down in the sand of the Underworld. She slowly got up and ran a finger through the painful cut on her cheek from the sharp talon the Harpy that had struck her. She looked up and saw the Queen of the Harpies smile amusedly as she sat on her throne. Her one remaining hand was caressing Prometheus leg, who looked down on the fight with a neutral look. Hope could not tell what his emotions were, if he even had any left. Somehow, the Queen had him obeying her every word like some twisted slave. Meanwhile, the golden Pandora's Box stood on a small table next to the Queen.

Hope felt movement next to her and raised her arms just in time to block a kick from the Harpy she was fighting. She twisted the leg and forced the Harpy to the ground before crawling on top of her and returning the punch she had received earlier.

"Enough." The Harpy Queen said as she snapped her finger.

Two more Harpies came running and grabbed Hope by the arms, lifting her up and dragging her before the Queen.

"Enough of these little games." The Queen said. "Open the box and I will let you rest. My Harpies have been beating you down for an hour already. I am getting impatient."

"I already told you, I am not opening the box." Hope said.

"If you do not open it, I will be forced to take alternative action." The Queen said.

"You know only the Guardian can open the box, you have no alternative." Hope replied.

"True, only a Guardian can open the box." The Queen said. "However, there are other way to unleash what is inside. Open the box, or I will have it destroyed."

"Are you crazy?! The box cannot be…" Hope started to say, but then the realization hit her.

It was said the box could not destroyed, because it was forged by the Gods themselves. However, the Queen possessed a power equal to the Gods, Prometheus. He had unleashed the sorrows onto the earth before, meaning that he could do it again. With his incredible strength, he could shatter the box, meaning the sorrows would be unleashed with no way to recall them. The entire world would be consumed by them.

"I see you understand my point of view." The Queen said with a smile as she looked at her lover. "If you do not open the box, I will have Prometheus destroy it. The sorrows will never be captured again and the world will tear itself to pieces."

"What?" Prometheus suddenly asked. "You said you would only use the box as a warning, unleash the sorrows temporarily to demonstrate our power."

"That was the plan." The Queen said. "But if the Guardian is not willing to open it, we must take other action. The blood of the innocent will be on her hands."

"I never agreed to this." Prometheus said angrily as he stood up.

"Please, my love, let us not fight." The Queen said as she got up and placed her hand on his chest. "You swore your loyalty to me. I am your Queen and we will rule, but in order to do that, I need to send a powerful message. I need both the forces of good and evil to recognize our power."

"We don't need that cursed box for that." Prometheus said. "I swore my loyalty to you, I can give you everything you desire. Why can't that be enough?"

"Please understand, with the box in our possession, no one would take to challenge us." The Queen said seductively as she moved closer to him and placed her hand in his neck. "Nobody would dare touch us, we would be together forever."

The Queen leaned in to kiss Prometheus and waited for him to initiate the kiss, which he did after a short moment of hesitation. It was clear to Hope that she had him completely under her control. Pandora's supposed betrayal and his years of imprisonment had driven him into her hands. Alone in a world where he did not belong, the Queen had firmly planted her talons in him and given him a purpose with her seductive ways. It was sad in a certain way, that he had turned to darkness, though it only made him more dangerous.

"We can still make it work." The Queen said. "All we need is the Guardian to open the box."

"Consider it done." Prometheus replied.

Prometheus stepped away from the Queen and stepped down from the throne. The Harpies holding Hope quickly let go and she fell in the sand. She looked up and saw the Titan coming at her with a furious and determined look. Hope wondered if he saw her for who she truly was, or if he only saw the woman that betrayed him, Pandora. All she knew was that she could not give up.

"You will open the box." Prometheus said.

"Never." Hope replied.

Prometheus yelled angrily and charged at her, though Hope quickly leaped up and rolled away, avoiding his punch that was buried in the sand and caused the cavern to rumble. Hope looked around but found all the exits blocked by Harpies. Meanwhile, the Queen sat back on her throne and enjoyed the show. Hope wondered what was keeping the others. She hoped they did not get lost in the endless tunnels. When Prometheus charged at her again, Hope jumped up and summersaulted over him. Prometheus angrily swung at her, though she easily avoided him. He was incredibly strong, though luckily she was faster.

"My blade." Prometheus called out.

One of the Harpies near the throne picked up a large bronze sword and threw it at Prometheus, who caught it and swung it between his hands.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be." Prometheus said. "Open the box and you will not be harmed."

"Do you actually believe that?" Hope called out. "Can't you see she is just using you? She just wants to keep you around as a weapon, a slave. She doesn't care about you, she is a demon."

"She has given me a purpose." Prometheus replied.

"She is keeping you on a leash." Hope said.

"I swore loyalty to her, she can give me what others could not." Prometheus said. "She will not betray me."

"She is a demon, she is not even capable of love." Hope replied. "She does not care about you. She is manipulating your love for Pandora."

"Don't you dare speak that name!" Prometheus yelled furiously as he swung his blade.

Hope barely avoided the blade as it struck the wall behind her, however, her jacket was pinned down by the blade. Before she could move, Prometheus grabbed her by the throat and raised her off her feet, pressing her against the wall.

"You know nothing about Pandora." Prometheus said. "She betrayed me."

"She did not betray you, she saved the world from you." Hope replied as she gasped for air. "You would have destroyed everything in your war against the Gods."

As she felt her air running out, Hope noticed a flicker of doubt on Prometheus' face. However, he was too consumed by anger to truly listen to her and continued choking her. Hope struggled for breath as she felt herself growing weaker.

"We need her alive to open the box." The Queen yelled. "Prometheus!"

Prometheus did not seem to listen. With his hand around Hope's throat, he seemed blinded by rage. Hope grabbed his arms to free herself, though his skin felt harder than steel and his grip would not break. Hope desperately struggled for air, but her body would not move. She felt this was end and closed her eyes, ready to give up.

The sudden sound of an explosion caused Hope to open her eyes. She looked up and saw two of the Harpies by the entrance exploding in a ball of fire. Prometheus seemed distracted as he turned around, briefly loosening his grip. It was all Hope needed. She set off against the wall and kicked Prometheus in the chest, causing him to let go and stumble back. Hope fell to the ground and gasped for air. At that moment, she saw her friends running into the cavern.

Xxx

As they were running through the dark caverns, Billie grew concerned that time was running out. It felt like they had been running through a maze for hours and they were no closer to finding Hope. However, just about when Billie was getting ready to call them lost, her attention was drawn by a flickering light in the distance.

"This is it, be ready." Billie called out to her friends.

While running to the light, Billie reached into her pockets and pulled out two vanquishing potions. As soon as she saw those leather-clad bitches in the opening of the cavern, she threw the potions and they were vanquished in a fiery explosion. Billie ran into a large open cavern and quickly scanned the room. It was a throne room and the Queen of the Harpies was standing in front of it screaming. Billie turned and saw Hope in the corner, being pressed against a wall by Prometheus. However, thanks to their distraction, Hope was able to break free.

"I think we're a little outnumbered." Duncan whispered as he walked around Billie with his crossbow ready to fire as the Harpies started to circle them. "I count at least eight more Harpies, not including the Queen."

"The Queen is the target." Billie whispered back. "Hopefully the vanquishing spell will take all her little minions with her as well."

"You made a big mistake coming here." The Harpy Queen spoke.

"You made a big mistake coming after our friend." Billie replied as she reached into her jeans pocket for the spell. Duncan and Violet gathered around her as she unfolded the piece of paper. "Now!" Billie said as she and others started chanting the vanquishing spell.

"_Queen of Harpies, We now dethrone_

_For wicked acts, You must atone_

_Your claws of pain, We now sever_

_We end your reign, For now and ever." _

The Queen screamed in fury as she stepped forward, though she stumbled back when she suddenly ignited in flames. Crying out in pain, she raised her arms and several streams of fire erupted in all directions, vanquishing the Harpy minions in a fiery explosion as they were hit.

"No!" Prometheus screamed in a deep, echoed voice as he stepped forward. As he screamed, a blast of concussive rippling force erupted from his mouth in all directions that sent everyone crashing into the walls. Prometheus ran to his burning Queen and kneeled down. With Billie and the others knocked down, the spell lost effect and the flames went out as Prometheus placed his hands on the Queen. She survived, though all her Harpies were vanquished.

"No, my precious girls." The Queen cried out as she noticed the piles of ashes on the floor, while the burn marks of her body started to heal.

Meanwhile, Hope carefully got up and walked over to Pandora's Box, which had been blasted across the room as well, and picked it up. The box briefly glowed in her hands. At the same time, Billie and the others also slowly got up. Billie realized that with the spell failed and the Queen still alive, they had officially run out of options. They could never defeat Prometheus.

"It is over, you Harpies are gone and I will never open the box." Hope said.

"It is far from over." The Queen said as Prometheus helped her to her feet. "My love, they seek to destroy our plans. You must kill them."

"Don't listen to her." Hope said. "Can't you see she is only using you? She only cares about the power contained in the box. You're just a weapon to her."

"Enough." Prometheus said. "You come here seeking to kill the woman I love, and now you think you can tell me what to think? You are just like her."

"Like who? Pandora?" Hope asked. "She did what she believed was right. She could not let you bring misery to this world to defeat the Gods. She loved you will all her heart, and stopping you broke her heart. But she did it anyway, because she was good and pure."

"Do not speak to me as if you know what happened." Prometheus said angrily. "You were not there."

"But I know what happened." Hope said. "Pandora and all Guardians that came after her left journals telling her story. She was never the same after what happened."

"Don't listen to her." The Queen said to Prometheus as she put her hand on his chest. "She is trying to manipulate you. Remember the promise we made each other. Destroy them and we can rule together, forever. I will never betray you, my love."

"Hope is right." Billie said as she stepped forward. "She is not the one manipulating you, the Queen is. She has no real love for you. She is incapable of true emotions."

"Please Prometheus." Violet pleaded as she stepped forward as well. "When you were awakened, everyone was worried you were evil, but I believed that you deserved a fair chance. Even though you did something horrible in the past, you were trying to the right thing in the end. But if you side with the Queen, you will have truly chosen evil."

"Ignore them, my love." The Queen said as she moved closer to him and let her talons slide down his face. "You had it right the first time. You unleashed the sorrows to free the mortal from the Gods, but you have seen with your own eyes that mortals are just as corrupt as them. Even though you risked everything for them, they are not grateful, they treat you like a monster. Only I will truly accept you for what you are."

Billie noticed that everything that was being said was confusing the ancient Titan and he was lost for words. If they could convince him to turn on the Queen, all of this could be over, but if the Queen lured him to her side, the entire world would soon be under her reign. With Prometheus and the sorrows as her weapons, she would be unstoppable.

"I need to think." Prometheus said conflicted as he walked away from the Queen and started to pace around the cavern.

"This is not going to work." Duncan whispered to Billie. "We need to take the box and get out of here. Perhaps the Elders have come up with a way to vanquish Prometheus."

"If we run now, he will surely take her side and we're all doomed." Billie replied softly.

"We cannot wait for him to make up his mind." Mikelle added in a whisper. "Those centuries imprisoned have clearly made him a little unstable."

"Just have a little faith." Violet replied hopefully as she looked at the pacing Titan. "Please make the right choice." She whispered so softly that only she heard it.

xxx

Prometheus' mind was racing with a millions conflicting thoughts. He felt lost and confused that did not know what to do. His mind was itching and he just wanted it to stop. He let out an angrily scream and rammed his fist into the stone wall, causing the cavern to rumble and dust to fall down. Why did everything had to be this difficult? In ancient times things were simple, he had Pandora and all he ever wanted was to be happy with her. Then she betrayed him.

Now he was caught in a century that he did not understand and everyone was trying to manipulate him. The Queen had promised him love and a purpose though as time passed, he started to wonder if her words were sincere. Perhaps she was just trying to use him. On the other hand, he had been betrayed by a Guardian before. This girl and her witch friends only saw him as a threat, a monster that had once nearly destroyed the world. All he wanted was a world free of corruption where he could be happy with the woman he loved. After everything that had happened since he had been freed, he wondered if it as ever possible. This entire world was maddening. He could not take it anymore. He did not want to doubt everything. He just wanted it all to end.

He wanted it to end. He wanted the doubts to end, he wanted this world to end. It was the only way he could be free. Perhaps he would find peace and quiet in a new world.

Prometheus looked up when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Despoina looking in his eyes. However, this time he saw past her beauty and seduction. She did not love him, she was a demon, pure evil.

"My love..." Despoina said, but before she could finish she gasped in pain.

She looked down and saw Prometheus had trusted his fist in her chest. He squeezed and pulled, revealing a bloody heart in his hand. Despoina looked in shock and horror and she stumbled back and erupted into flames, before being reduced to ashes. Prometheus looked at the black heart in his hand and crushed it to dust. He then turned to the Guardian.

"Hope, run!" the blonde witch called out.

The witch flung her arm and Prometheus felt her Telekinesis trying to push him back, though her weak power did not affect him. The male witch then used his crossbow to fire arrows at him, though the arrows splintered as they hit his skin. The witches and the Guardian tried to run, though Prometheus charged at their means of escape, the Whitelighter, and threw her against the wall with great force, knocking her unconscious. He then unleashed a powerful blast of concussive force and blasted the witches across the cavern. The defenceless Guardian was driven in a corner.

"Give me the box." Prometheus said as he held out his hand. "I will let the sorrows destroy this maddening world and be done with it all."

"Don't do this, you're better than this." The Guardian begged.

"Perhaps I once was." Prometheus replied. "But that part of me died a long time ago when she betrayed me."

Prometheus stepped forward and grabbed the box from the Guardian. She unleashed a blast of white energy, though her attempts to fight were useless. When she tried to punch him, Prometheus grabbed her and slammed her into the wall, causing the wall to collapse and burying her under a pile of rocks. He then walked to the centre of the cavern and placed both hands on glowing Pandora's Box. He focussed all his strength and crushed the box, unleashing the dark clouds of sorrow into the world as he laughed manically.

xxx


	7. Chapter 7

Chosen Chapter 4: Rise of the Titan

Part 7

Xxx

On top of the Golden Gate Bridge overlooking the city of San Francisco at night, the Elder Kevin sat impatiently on a clouds of orbs waiting for news from the Chosen. It had been hours since he had last spoken to them and he was starting to get worried. Mikelle had informed the Elders about the situation between Prometheus and Pandora's Box and it had caused quite a panic in the Heavens. Kevin had faith in the Chosen to solve this mess, though with every moment passing, his concern grew. Last he had sensed them, they were about to head into the Underworld. There was no way he could sense them down there, so he was left blind.

"Come on." Kevin whispered. "You can do this."

Kevin closed his eyes and tried to meditate to calm down, though his entire being was suddenly shaken as he sensed a great power had been unleashed. Something had gone wrong and his eyes blew open. The sorrows had been unleashed. Kevin looked down at the water and saw a stream of black particles rise up from the deep. In the distance, several more streams headed into the dark skies and started to swarm around the world.

Kevin stood up and could already feel the sorrows started to take effect and on the bridge below him, he heard several cars crash and the faded screams of humans. Mortals could not see the sorrows, but they worked their way into their hearts and caused despair and misery, which would lead to chaos until the world destroyed itself. Kevin could not believe the Chosen had failed and desperately hoped they were still alive.

However, he had other things to concern himself with now. He could not help them, he needed to join the other Elders in the Heavens to find a way to minimize the damage the sorrows were already causing. In a column of orbs, Kevin reluctantly left the chaotic world behind.

Xxx

In the dark caverns of the Underworld, Billie slowly regained consciousness as she felt someone rubbing her shoulder. Her head was pounding and her entire body hurt. When she opened her eyes, she saw a concerned Duncan leaning over her.

"What happened?" Billie asked.

"We lost." Duncan admitted painfully. "Prometheus is gone, the box is destroyed. The sorrows have been unleashed."

"No!" Billie said as she shot up.

Billie looked across the cavern and saw Violet leaning over a still unconscious Mikelle trying to wake her. A few feet further, Hope was kneeling down on the ground with a broken expression and tears running down her face. In her hands, she held the golden shards that were once Pandora's Box. Prometheus had destroyed it, meaning there was nothing left to contain the sorrows now that they were free.

"Hope." Billie said as she walked over to her friend and kneeled down next to her. "We cannot stay here, we have to do something."

"There is nothing we can do." Hope stated bitterly and angry at herself. "The box is destroyed. I failed, I let the box be destroyed. I am the worst Guardian ever." As she spoke, she clenched the shards of the box until her hands bled. "I am useless."

In a sudden move that even shocked Billie herself, her hand moved and she slapped Hope across the face. A shocked Hope looked up at her and Billie looked at her own hand in surprise. However, she quickly regained herself and told herself to focus.

"Listen Hope, this is not the time to feel sorry for yourself." Billie stated. "Yes, the box is destroyed, but that doesn't mean it's over. We can still fight."

"So what do you intend to do?" Violet asked as she walked over.

Billie turned to look at her friends and noticed that Mikelle had woken up. Billie stood up and extended her hand to Hope, who grabbed it and got up as well. Al of them gathered in a circle and looked at each other. Billie had to admit they looked pretty beaten and run-down, but she had to convince herself that things were not hopeless yet.

"If we can't stop the sorrows, we can at least make sure we take Prometheus down with us." Billie said determined. "Even if the world is in total chaos right now, we can still make a difference."

"You're right." Hope said as she wiped away her final tears. "Prometheus really needs to get his ass kicked, and we're the only ones who can."

"How?" Violet asked concerned. "He really lost it now."

"Yeah, how do we stop an unstoppable, mad Titan?" Duncan added.

"We throw everything we got at him." Billie said as she broke away from the circle and walked across the cavern. She kneeled down near the throne and picked up the large bronze sword that had once belonged to the Titan. "He may be powerful, but all Titans fall eventually."

"Alright." Hope said as the others nodded. "Let's go do this."

Billie walked over the others and joined hands with them. They waited for Hope to collect the fragments of the shattered box and disappeared from the Underworld in a column of orbs.

Xxx

The Chosen and Hope reappeared in a columns of bright blue orbs in the middle of the Golden Gate Park, near a fountain that was lit by several lanterns. Hope looked up at the statue on the fountain and saw it was a woman holding a large jar from which water flowed. It seemed fitting somehow. In her hand, she still clutched to a sharp fragment of the box, which she intended to plunge in Prometheus' chest. When the box shattered, it was like her own life shattered in front of her eyes. The years she had given up to protect the box had all been for nothing. She had failed her destiny, the first in all the generations of Guardians to do so. If it had not been for Billie and the others, she would have completely fallen apart, but with their help, she was able to keep standing.

"Why did you orb us here, Mikelle?" Duncan asked.

"I didn't, I focussed on where Hope wanted to go." Mikelle replied.

"I think he is here." Hope added, she did not know how, but it was like instinct. "He is around here somewhere."

"You don't give up, do you?" Prometheus suddenly said as he stepped out from behind the fountain. "I thought I had left you to die in the Underworld, and now you're here. Why? The box is gone and this world will destroy itself. Then it will be reborn free from corruption."

"You're insane." Hope called out. "You were always dangerous, but those centuries trapped under those rocks have truly driven you mad."

"No, it was her betrayal that drove me to this." Prometheus replied. "We could have had everything. Now the entire world will pay for her mistake."

Prometheus smashed his foot in the ground and the entire ground shook. He then started to walk toward them and each step caused the stone under his feet to crumble. Hope clutched the shard in her hand and prepared while Billie raised the bronze blade she held. At the same time, Duncan summoned a crossbow and Violet revealed the last remaining potions she had left.

When Prometheus was near, Hope charge forward and fired an energy blast from her hand. Prometheus stumbled back and Hope summersaulted over him, plunging the shard of the box deep in his shoulder blade. Prometheus cried out in pain and kneeled down.

At that moment, Billie charged forward with the sword ready to strike, though as she let the sword descend, Prometheus grabbed it with his bare hand and shattered it. He then stood up and punched Billie in the chest, sending her flying backward. Billie managed to use her levitation power to break her momentum slightly and fell in the grass. Meanwhile Duncan and Violet were firing arrows and throwing potions at the mad Titan, thought they had little effect.

Prometheus yanked the shard of the box from his shoulder and tossed it aside. Hope ran for it, though before she could reach it, Prometheus grabbed her and tossed her into the fountain. Hope hit her head against the statue and fell in the water. For a moment, Hope believed she was drowning and she was ready to give up, but she knew she couldn't. She needed to keep going. She needed to keep having faith, or more precisely, she needed to have hope.

Prometheus stepped in the fountain and came at Hope, though as she stood up, she suddenly became surrounded in a golden light. The light spread until the entire fountain was covered in the golden glow. Prometheus looked stunned and Hope looked at her hands in surprise, wondered if this was some unknown Guardian power she had never known about before.

"Prometheus, what have you done?" A female voice sounded in an echo.

Hope turned around and saw the statue in the fountain come to life bathed in a golden light. She took the appearance a slender woman with long black hair and bright blue eyes, dressed in a beautiful white toga. Hope recognized her from drawing, though it was a shocked Prometheus who spoke her name first.

"Pandora." Prometheus said stunned, he was neither angry nor scared, just confused. "How is this possible?"

"You forget, Prometheus, beneath all those sorrows, there is one more thing in the box." Pandora explained.

"Hope." Hope said as she realized it, she had nearly forgotten.

"Yes, Hope is what is what rests in the box." Pandora said. "When you refused to give up hope, I was able to manifest as the spirit of Hope, even with the box destroyed. It is the final and most powerful ability a Guardian possesses."

"Why are you here, Pandora?" Prometheus asked.

"I am here for you, Prometheus." Pandora said saddened. "All those centuries ago, I gave up our love to protect the world from your mistake. I hoped you have would have learned, but it appears you have fallen to madness."

"You betrayed me!" Prometheus yelled angrily. "We could have had everything been together forever, and you betrayed me to the Gods."

"I did not betray you, Prometheus." Pandora said. "What I did, I did because I love you. I made my choice to protect both the world and you. Even though you are misguided, I know that in your heart, you are good. However, your hate for the Gods pretended you from seeing the truth. I could not let you use the sorrows to defeat them, not at the cost of the world in ruins. It would not have granted us happiness, only more misery."

"I don't believe you." Prometheus said, though his voice was doubtful.

"Believe me, my love." Pandora replied. "If you had succeeded in destroying the Gods, you would have hated yourself from what you had to the world. You would have fallen to darkness like you have done now. You do not want this world destroyed now any more than you did centuries ago."

"All I ever wanted was for us to be happy, free from the Gods and their corruption." Prometheus said saddened as he fell down in the fountain on his knees.

"And we still can be." Pandora said.

"No, it is too late." Prometheus replied. "I destroyed the box, the sorrows cannot be stopped. I have doomed this world."

"All is not lost, Prometheus, it never is, as long as you have hope." Pandora said. "If you join with me, we can restore what was destroyed and undo what has been done. That way, we can be together forever."

"You forgive me?" Prometheus asked confused. "After everything you could still love me?"

"I have never stopped loving you, Prometheus." Pandora said as she held out her hand. "Join me and we can be together."

Prometheus stood up and walked toward Pandora. As he walked past Hope, she saw a peace in his eyes she had never seen before. Ever since being freed, Prometheus had been lost. Now that the love of this life was back, he had finally found his true purpose, and it was not in this world. When Prometheus joined hands with Pandora, he became surrounded in bright light and his leather gladiator-like armor was replaced with a white toga like the one Pandora wore.

"Thank you, Hope." Pandora said. "Take care of the box."

Both Pandora and Prometheus started to glow in a golden light and dissolved into a million tiny lights that started to swirl around. Hope felt something moving in her bag and opened it, causing the fragments of Pandora' Box to fly out and circle in the golden light. The fragment she had used to stab Prometheus rose up from the ground and joined the rest. The fragments started to glow as they were reassembled until the box was whole again. The box then opened and from all over the world the sorrows were recalled into the box. When the sorrows were back, the box stopped glowing and it fell in Hope's arms. It was over.

"Hope! What happened?" Billie asked as Hope stepped out of the fountain. "The light was too bright, we could not see anything."

"I think I saw some kind of figure in there with you." Violet added. "Who was she?"

"It was Pandora." Hope explained. "She returned as a spirit to help Prometheus find peace. They combined their powers to recreate the box."

"So what happened to Prometheus?" Duncan asked.

"He is in there with her." Hope said with a smile. 'They are finally together."

"Wow, that is almost kind of romantic." Mikelle remarked. "If you forget he was a madman that nearly destroyed the world for a moment."

"Oh, shut up." Billie said with a smile. 'At least the world is safe."

"And it's nice to know he found some peace after all." Violet said tearfully.

A column of orbs suddenly descended down from the skies and took the shape of a teenager dressed in white and golden robes. Hope did not know who the kid was, but the others appeared to recognize him and he seemed important.

"Kevin, nice of you to show up after the battle is over." Mikelle said.

"You did it." Kevin said with a smile, ignoring Mikelle's comment. "I knew you could do it. You have saved the world from destruction and stopped Prometheus."

"Well, Hope did most of the work." Billie said.

"I couldn't have done it without you." Hope replied.

"Also, you should be happy to know that with the Harpy Queen gone, the Brotherhood has lost another one of their members."

"No way!" Billie remarked. "She was a member of the Brotherhood? Man, those guys seem to pop up everywhere. It seems like everything is somehow connected to them."

"Well, she wasn't exactly loyal to the others." Kevin replied. "At least she is gone, though I am sure the Brotherhood will eventually replace her."

"Can we please not talk about that right now?" Duncan remarked. "I am exhausted."

"I could not agree more." Billie said. "I need to sleep."

"Of course. I just wanted to congratulate you all." Kevin said. "I am sure our paths will cross again."

With a small nod, the young Elder disappeared in a column of orbs. The others all let out a sigh of relief that it was all over. Hope smiled as she wrapped her hands tightly around the box. Life of a Guardian was hard, especially when she was alone. Luckily, she had now found some friends who understood exactly what she was going through and she was grateful for them.

When the others started to complain about being hungry and tired, Hope smiled and told them she knew a great diner in the neighbourhood, of which she just happened to have the keys.

Xxx

Two days later, Violet walked across the campus dressed in a warm long coat and fluffy pink hat. The first snow had started falling and she loved it. It made her glad the world had not ended. When she reached the coffee stand where she always got her coffee, she noticed Duncan standing in line as well. She said hi and he got her a coffee, knowing exactly how she liked it. As they drank their coffee, they continued to walk across the campus.

"So listen." Violet said nervously. "Everything that has happened has made me think about everything, about us."

"So what did you think about?" Duncan asked.

"The world almost ended, and before that, I saw you get stabbed in the back by a Harpy and I thought you were dead." Violet said. "It made me realize that we shouldn't waste time, and that we should spent the time we have with the people we love."

"Okay." Duncan replied.

"It's just, I was really hurt when you told me you were gay." Violet said. "I had real feelings for you and they were crushed just like that. But after everything that has happened, I realize that I still love you, as one of my best friends, and I don't want to lose that. I want to spend my time with the people I love without being hurt or angry at them."

"I'm really glad to hear that." Duncan said. "I am sorry I hurt you."

"And I am sorry for the way I acted the last few weeks." Violet said. "I realize things were just as difficult for you, maybe even more."

"So we're really at peace now?" Duncan asked.

"Yeah." Violet replied.

"Good, let's get out of this cold then." Duncan said with a smile.

"Okay." Violet replied

The two witches headed back to the dorm building and talked and joked along the way. When her hands got cold, Violet wrapped her arms around Duncan's. He in turn took her hands and rubbed them to get warmer. Violet smiled and realized that she did not need Duncan as her boyfriend, since having him as a friend was already great.

Xxx

In a darkened penthouse lit by several candles, thee dark cloaked figures gathered around table which had five seats and sat down, leaving two of the chairs empty. The Brotherhood had assembled to discuss he events of the last few days.

"The Chosen are becoming a problem." One of the male figures said.

"The Queen was ready to betray us, I am glad she is gone. The little witches did us a favor." The last remaining female member said.

"Still, they have taken out two of our members." The first figure said. "It's not just a matter of power, but also about image. If our members get taken down so easily, what does that say about our Brotherhood?"

"What do you propose?" The female member asked.

"I think it is time for a more direct approach." The first figure said.

The first figure stood up and removed his cloak, revealing himself as a tall and handsome man with short brown hair dressed in a leather jacket and black clothes. He blinked and instantly reappeared on the other side of the room, where he picked up an athame from a side table. Soon the witches would learn to fear the Brotherhood, as well as the name Bacarra.

Xxx

The End


End file.
